Hillary Makes History

Nobody deserves the White House more than Hillary Rodham Clinton. Her husband Bill broke it down beautifully for us last night at the Democratic National Convention 2016 in Philadelphia. Bill preached. Michelle Obama had already parted the waters with her dynamic self on Monday to kick things off. then along came Bill to preach the gospel of Hillary, the sermon on the mountain of her record of service and the personal history of their lives together in the public arena. Through his heartfelt words we could clearly see how this former leader of the free world showed humility in the light of his wife’s dynamic spirit. He didn’t avoid touching on a few private moments as a family raising their daughter, Chelsea. Loved the image of them as doting parents swarming around her freshman dorm room at Stanford, lining drawers and fighting back tears until Chelsea threw them out. I watched people’s faces as they listened, wrapped up in this love story about how boy met girl, and about a young woman discovering her mission. As one commentator put it, it was a march through the decades.

Eight years ago during Barack Obama’s campaign I was one of many who thought we’d have a white woman in the White House before a black man. For all the problems that we have in America—and we have plenty—this is a great country capable of great things. We know there are many who look upon greatness and are diminished by its light, turning hateful and spiteful in response, but seriously: What woman in her right mind would not vote for Hillary Clinton? I cannot imagine even the Bush women throwing their votes away on their party’s choice. A true leader such as Hillary Clinton does not see this as a reason for greatness to shrink in order to appease weakness. Quite the opposite—she uses it as fuel to roll up her sleeves and work even harder to change the lives of Americans.

Back during my hey day of storytelling in schools, libraries and festivals a teacher told me that in her classroom she focused on the most vulnerable, circling the wagons around those children, getting the whole class to help them find their gifts. Her theory: when our most vulnerable are supported the community is strongest. This is the mantra of the DNC ~ “We are stronger together.”

I will proudly cast my vote for Hillary grateful that our daughter —and young men and women everywhere —have this powerful role model to hold before her has she finishes her last year in college and begins her life in America, empowered by what it means to finally have a woman on the crest of world politics as the first female candidate of a major American party.

But it ain’t over yet folks. We must not rest on our laurels because,as we have seen so clearly demonstrated the past few months, the weak-minded—when combined with egomania, insensitivity, fear and money—can amass a mighty voice.

So in order to put Hillary in the White House we need to work as hard as we did in 2008 to elect Barack Obama. We have to get the vote out once again because sexism trumps racism.

When you think about it it makes sense because sexism is something even racists can agree on.

As I reach out to my League of Women Voters and my local DEMS to help register voters, I hope you will do the same and I’m left scratching my head wondering who will Condoleezza vote for?

I emailed with a friend earlier who had been a Bernie supporter and it wasn’t until she saw the visual of the glass ceiling being broken that she got it. I had to wonder where her head had been. Hilary knows how to play with the big boys on their terms and I thank Bernie for hanging in there so she had to take on his causes because he would have been powerless in Washington. Since hearing Cory Booker speak at the convention four years ago I had dreamed of a Clinton/Booker ticket. But just like little black boys can dream of becoming president little girls can now know they have a place in running this world and they have value and power. She can hold her own against a bully and maintain her dignity.

About Anita Gail

Writer, visual artist and oral tradition storyteller, Anita Gail was born and raised in Albany, Georgia, living in the Bay Area since 1985. As a 2018-19 Affiliate Artist at The Headlands Center for the Arts, she is making final revisions on her debut novel, Peach Seed Monkey. The story was a Novella semi-finalist in the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

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Art Installation

7.29.18 Debut Open House as 2018-19 Affiliate Artist at Headlands Center for the Arts: an art installation in my studio based on scene: “Sunday Dinner” from Peach Seed Monkey, my work-in-progress novel. To view gallery: Click on photo above.